Disrupting the drug-crime nexus: a quasi-experimental evaluation of a substance use treatment program

Frank Ferdik Hayden P. Smith Xyzeidria Ensley Jay Youngs a Department of Criminal Justice, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN, USAb Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USAc Behavioral Health Services Division, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, Nashville, TN, USAFrank Ferdik., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. Dr. Ferdik’s research interests include public evaluations of the police, correctional officer health and wellness, the effectiveness of substance abuse treatment programs, and correctional population interpretations of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). Scholarly works of his are featured in prestigious, top-tier journals such as Justice Quarterly, Criminology and Public Policy, and Criminal Justice and Behavior. Dr. Ferdik has also authored a white paper for the National Institute of Justice on the topic of Correctional Officer Wellbeing. In 2023, he received federal funding in the amount of $75,000 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to examine interventions aimed at improving jail officer health and wellness.Hayden P. Smith., is a Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. His research interests include the intersections of mental health and criminality within the justice system, correctional officer health and wellness, and the psychological wellbeing of incarcerated persons. His research appears in such outlets as Justice Quarterly, and Criminal Justice and Behavior. He has also authored a white paper for the National Institute of Justice on the topic of Correctional Officer Wellbeing and Resilience.Xyzeidria Ensley., is the Director of Behavior Health at Davidson County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) in Nashville, TN. She has worked in the field of corrections for over 18 years providing justice-involved clients therapeutic choices to integrate into their daily lives. She oversees the daily behavioral operation, coordinates the provision of court-ordered mental health evaluations and oversees the Licensed Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) for both male and female populations. She is certified as a CIT Coordinator and Provides Crisis Intervention Team Training to the (DCSO) to assist with managing crisis situation as they arise within the correction facilities. Her interests include mental health, substance use disorders, substance abuse treatment programs and correctional staff wellness.Jay Youngs is the Treatment Data Analyst for the Nashville Sheriff’s Office and has worked there for the past 20 years. Mr. Youngs is responsible for tracking the treatment offenders from the time a referral is open to when it is closed. His knowledge and experience of treatment has helped shape a better picture through data of how this population can be better served.

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